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Laurie Morvan Band Rocks The Library
by Thomas W. Catchpole, Mountain Press contributing writer
The outdoor presentation area at the Auberry Branch Library was packed with community members sitting on lawn chairs and blankets on Friday evening, August 17. Friends Of the Auberry Library (FOAL) concert coordinator Loren Leach introduced the band at 7:30 pm. "I would like to introduce to you tonight the Laurie Morvan Band, in our 59th FOAL Free Concert. They came up from southern California to be with us tonight."
The Laurie Morvan Band has been around for several years and has become a well-honed musical machine. Morvan is the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Lisa (Grubbs) Morvan is the second vocalist and plays percussion instruments. The man that keeps the beat going is Kevin Murillo on the drums along with Pat Morvan on the electric bass. It wouldn't be complete without the excellent keyboard playing by Tom Salyers.
The band had been touring all over North America and has won several awards. Songwriter Laurie Morvan played mostly her original songs during the concert. She has a great presentation style, adding comments between songs about what life experience inspired the writing of the songs.
"Thank you for inviting us to play for you in Auberry; it is such a beautiful place! We are staying in a little cottage around the corner, we just don't want to have to leave and wish we could stay here," noted Morvan.
They opened with a bluesrock instrumental piece after which Morvan noted, "A while ago a friend called me up saying that he was so tired from working that he felt beat up all the way from his head to his feet." Instead of consoling him she said she would call back because that had given her an idea for a song, whereupon she went out to write the song "Beat Up From The Feet Up." After performing the song she didn't say if she ever called the friend back.
Her song "Mojo Mama" transported the audience to a dock in New Orleans. She noted how she had heard that Wynonna Judd had written a song, "Girls With Guitars," which she immediately bought only to find that it was performed by all men. Upset by this fact she noted, "Why, Wynonna, I was probably available the day you recorded that album, so I wrote this next song: 'Where Are the Girls With Guitars.'"
Other blues and comical songs she has written under similar situations are: "Skinny Chicks," in response to the song "Big Legged Woman;" "It Only Hurts When I Breathe," a personal response to a significant loss in her life; and a lighthearted song about working people, "No Working During Drinking Hours."
The audience was pleased by the band's performance and applauded strongly after the final song, which was an adaptation of an old Muddy Waters tune.
The community is grateful to FOAL for providing the opportunity to experience these cultural and musical events right in Auberry. For info on future events visit the library or call 855-8523.
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